VLOG: This Is Why I Do This — Adjusting on the Fly at an Orlando Vet Conference

This week on Laugh or Death, I’m taking you behind the scenes of another speaking trip — this time to Orlando for the Veterinary Dental Forum.

And this one did not exactly go according to plan.

I was scheduled to lead a four-hour workshop on humor and happiness and was told to expect somewhere around 30–40 people. I planned the whole thing around a smaller, interactive group…and then I walked into a ballroom built for 500 or 600 people.

Oh, and eventually about 160–180 people showed up.

So, roughly five times what I was expecting. Cool. No pressure. 😂

In this vlog, I bring you along for the whole trip: the emergency CVS run for presentation supplies, hauling a carry-on mostly full of books, my traditional night-before overthinking session, seeing the room for the first time, and figuring out how to completely adjust a workshop on the fly.

One of the things I’m constantly thinking about when I speak is the balance between entertainment and actual takeaway value. I absolutely believe there’s value in people working in stressful professions getting an hour to laugh, relax, and have fun. But I also want them to leave with something they can actually use.

Apparently we succeeded on the laughing part because at one point our room got so loud that the conference session next door started cheering back at us. 😂

We had accidentally started a ballroom cheer war at a veterinary dentistry conference.

But the most meaningful part of this trip happened after I was done speaking.

A couple of people came up afterward and got emotional talking about how much the session affected them. Later at the hotel, I met Carol, who told me part of the workshop really hit home for her — specifically the idea of living a life that’s true to yourself instead of constantly doing what everyone else expects from you.

So naturally, I asked a woman who had just told me she was emotional if she wanted to immediately appear on my podcast.

She said yes. 😂

We talked about caring for everybody else, making space for your own happiness, coming out of your shell, and giving yourself permission to actually live your life.

And somewhere in that conversation, she ended up reminding me why I do what I do.

My job is usually to get other people thinking differently about their lives. But every once in a while, somebody in the audience turns around and does the same thing for me.

It was a good reminder to keep leaning into this work, trust the message, and remember that sometimes the thing you’re doing really does reach somebody who needs it.

Links:

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To learn more about Paul’s work, book him for speaking engagements, or explore the science behind humor and resilience, visit: 👉 https://www.paulosincup.com You can also dive deeper into the tools discussed in this episode in Paul’s book: 👉 The Humor Habit: https://www.paulosincup.com/thehumorhabit

All Links For Paul: https://stan.store/PaulOsincup 

Episode Minute-By-Minute:

00:00 – Behind the Scenes at an Orlando Vet Conference

01:00 – Emergency Presentation Supplies at CVS 😂

02:00 – My Carry-On Is Basically Just Books

03:00 – The Night-Before Speaking Overthink

04:00 – Entertainment vs. Giving People Something Useful

06:00 – Preparing for a Four-Hour Workshop

07:00 – This Room Is NOT What I Expected

08:00 – Time to Change the Plan

09:00 – Every Speaker’s Worst Nightmare 😂

10:00 – Five Times More People Showed Up

11:00 – How I Adjusted the Workshop on the Fly

12:00 – Getting a Serious Crowd to Loosen Up

13:00 – We Got So Loud the Ballroom Next Door Responded 😂

14:00 – Our Happiness Session Started a Cheer War

15:00 – What I’d Do Differently Next Time

16:00 – Why Speaking to Veterinary Professionals Means So Much to Me

17:00 – The Conversation That Stuck With Me

18:00 – Meet Carol: “That Part Hit Home”

19:00 – When You’re Always Taking Care of Everybody Else

20:00 – Why In-Person Conferences Still Matter

21:00 – Giving Yourself Permission to Be Yourself

22:00 – “This Is the Year of Why Not”

23:00 – The Audience Reminded Me Why I Do This

24:00 – Believe in Your Own Message

25:00 – Final Thoughts From Orlando